The Outsider by Jason Dean

Synopsis

Jason Strickland and his son are in witness protection, and have seven days before he testifies. He is being protected by US Marshal Angela Delaney, and she suspects a inside leak so seeks outside help from a old friend. James Bishop is a former marine, experienced in working protection but he never expected to see Angela again. However when he meets Strickland and his son, he immediately agrees to protect them. 

It's fast moving, and full of exciting set pieces. Dean clearly has the knack of creating twists and turns in thrillers, and also makes the characters believable and likable. It's necessary to make the lead character in this kind of story, empathetic but capable of great violence when they need to be, and Dean manages to make Bishop into a character that I could actually like a lot. 

Dean also creates a friendship between Clea, a character that helps Bishop and Strickland get quite far along in their mission and the two men. This is despite the fact that the relationship begins because Bishop pulls a gun on her. It's refreshing that the relationship between her and Bishop doesn't tip over into romance as well. 

Barney, Strickland's son is very composed despite all the things that he is put through over the course of the novel. He manages to keep a level head even after being kidnapped, and losing his mother, despite the fact that he is still a teenager. 

If you enjoy action packed stories with a lot of twists and turns, then this is definitely one to consider. 

Authors beginning with the letter H

A night in with Grace Kelly by Lucy Holliday

Synopsis

Libby Lomax has realised that her best friend Olly is the one for her, but he's happy and in love with Tash. Another conflict is the fact that she is trying to make her own business work, and making a bad first impression on her financial backer. Fortunately Libby meets Joel in a accidental meeting straight out of a romantic comedy. Soon afterwards Grace Kelly appears, and tries to help Libby see that happy endings aren't just for fairy tales. 

This is the last one in the trilogy that Holliday created to feature Libby. I read the first one in which Libby meets Audrey Hepburn and thoroughly enjoyed it. Libby is a avid film fan who grew up idolising the stars of Hollywood's golden years through her father. Holliday's version of Grace Kelly is initially reluctant to accept the idea of Libby being real, and persists in thinking of Libby as a figment of her own imagination. 

Libby is still surrounded by distinct and endearing characters such as Bogdan- the aspiring hairdresser who mixes up his idioms regularly. Nora- the always supportive best friend. Her sister and mother who focus on their own lives rather than Libby. Her mother has traits similar to Mrs Bennet from Austen's Pride and Prejudice, in that she wants her children to achieve big things, and form a attachment preferably with a wealthy man. 

Holliday made Libby into a very supportive and loving character in the first book, prone to putting others before herself, and keeps that trait intact in this one. Libby is there for her ex boyfriend Dillon, a relapsing alcoholic. He made a appearance in the first book, and was the obstacle between Olly and Libby, as he was her main love interest then. 

It's a lighthearted and well written novel, with a unusual secondary character in Grace Kelly. Holliday's Grace is unsure of whether she truly wants to be married to Prince Rainer, and has had a relationship with Cary Grant. I don't know if Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe interacted very much in reality, but Holliday has them banding together to save Libby's life, and also giving their own take on what is important in romantic relationships. 

I really enjoyed this one, and will be seeking out the second one so that I can fill in the gaps in Libby's story seeing as Holliday currently doesn't intend to write further adventures for her and Olly. 

Authors beginning with the letter L

Hidden Killers by Lynda La Plante

Synopsis

Jane Tennison is promoted from WPC to DC and joins Bow Street station, the move makes her conflicted. She doubts the way that her colleagues investigate crimes and deal with suspects. 

La Plante's Tennison has been a byword for strong female character within crime drama for years, and La Plante shows that strength even though this novel is set in Tennison's early career. I was glad of that, enjoying seeing such a strong and determined woman holding her own against men who typify 1970's views within the police force. 

It follows on from the first prequel, simply entitled Tennison, and some of the characters are referenced here. Jane is still coming to terms with the events of the end of Tennison, and interacts with other members of the team who are dealing with the same things. It's touching to see that she still values Kath in particular, but that she hasn't sunk under the weight of her emotions. Her family life has progressed as well, as her sister has got married, and there is a pregnancy within the course of the novel. 

I always enjoy La Plante's writing style, and the action does zip along swiftly. It's a well crafted detective story with plenty of twists and turns, and I will be very interested to see if she does another prequel. 

Review of I take you by Eliza Kennedy

Synopsis

Lily Wilder is a New York based lawyer who is planning her wedding to Will: a museum director. She loves him but finds monogamy a real challenge. 

Kennedy writes from Lily's 1st person point of view allowing the reader to get right into Lily's head from the first page. She's created a acerbic, funny and intelligent character who has a very complex family life. Her father has the same inability to settle down in a long term relationship with one woman, and the first three of his wives are attending Lily's wedding. The three women have developed a close friendship, despite the fact that they met because of Lily's dad's philandering. 

There are some distinctive and memorable characters. Ana: one of Lily's stepmothers is a congresswoman from California with a raucous laugh and is only five foot tall. Jane: another of her stepmothers is elegant and well groomed, as well as being very cultured. Freddie: Lily's best friend is a bisexual who has been engaged three times and has a high sex drive. 

Lily's kept a lot of her past hidden from Will and slowly it comes out through her interactions with those she left behind. She hasn't returned to her hometown in nearly thirteen years. Kennedy dripfeeds what might have been the reason that Lily has avoided Key West for so long, slowly allowing the reader to get to know who Lily is at the present point in the story. 

It is a very funny take on the genre, with a lead character who is rightly unapologetic about the fact that she likes to have sex. There are slight similarities with Bridget Jones, in that the main thrust of the story is about a thirty something and her relationships, with friends, family and romantic partners. Although for me Lily is more akin to Samantha from Sex and the city, even though Lily does ultimately find that she wants a long term future with Will. 

Kennedy is a honest and witty writer, creating believable, flawed but likable characters, and subverting some of the cliches of this genre.